History's deadliest king - by Georges Nzongola-Ntalaja

Summary

In the late 1800s, Belgium's King Leopold II brutalized the Congo Free State, forcing the exploitation of its people to meet rubber quotas. Chief Lontulu testified to the horrors by laying 110 twigs, each symbolizing a death caused by the regime. Leopold's soldiers terrorized villages with violence, severing hands as punishment and instigating widespread starvation and disease. International reports exposed the atrocities, but Leopold's wealth grew, and Belgium continued to profit. Despite some pressure, the Belgian government only took control in 1908, leaving a legacy of death, devastation, and unresolved calls for reparations that still echo today.

Takeaways

• 😀 Chief Lontulu used 110 twigs to represent the lives lost in his village due to King Leopold’s regime in the Congo, emphasizing the scale of the atrocity.
• 😀 King Leopold II of Belgium acquired the Congo in 1885 and turned it into a private colony, exploiting its resources and people.
• 😀 The Congo became a major supplier of rubber in the late 1800s, leading to forced labor and horrific treatment of the Congolese population.
• 😀 Congolese men were forced to meet rubber quotas under extreme conditions, with women and children held hostage to ensure compliance.
• 😀 King Leopold's soldiers used brutal methods, including cutting off people's hands, as punishment for not meeting rubber quotas or as proof of their killings.
• 😀 Leopold’s regime caused widespread starvation, disease, and death, with an estimated 10 million Congolese people dying during his rule.
• 😀 International efforts to expose the atrocities, including reports from journalist George Washington Williams and diplomat Roger Casement, eventually led to Leopold losing control of the Congo in 1908.
• 😀 Despite relinquishing control, Leopold was financially rewarded by the Belgian government with 50 million francs for his 'sacrifice.'
• 😀 After Leopold's death in 1909, Belgium continued to control the Congo for over 50 years until the country gained independence in 1960.
• 😀 The assassination of Congo’s first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, in 1961, was supported by the US and Belgium, leading to decades of dictatorship and further suffering in the country.
• 😀 Belgium has yet to address the calls for reparations, and Leopold's monuments, built on the suffering of millions, still stand throughout the country.

Q & A

What was the significance of Chief Lontulu's testimony in 1904?

Chief Lontulu's testimony was significant because it highlighted the human cost of King Leopold's rule in the Congo. He laid 110 twigs in front of a foreign commission, each representing a person from his village who died under Leopold's regime, and named each of the deceased, which helped bring global attention to the atrocities.

How did King Leopold acquire the Congo as his personal colony?

Leopold acquired the Congo by persuading European powers and the US to grant him control of the region. In 1885, he claimed the Congo as his personal colony, the Congo Free State, after deceiving local leaders and gaining their signatures on treaties allowing land use.

What role did rubber play in the exploitation of the Congo?

Rubber became a major source of exploitation in the Congo when a Scottish inventor developed the pneumatic tire in 1887, creating a huge demand for rubber. Leopold's regime forced Congolese people to meet impossible rubber quotas, which led to widespread suffering and violence.

What were some of the brutal tactics used by Leopold's soldiers to enforce rubber quotas?

Leopold's soldiers used extreme violence to enforce rubber quotas, including taking hostages, torturing civilians, and executing those who resisted. They often severed hands of the dead or living as proof of their actions, and sometimes cut off hands from living people to account for lost bullets.

What were the key reports that exposed Leopold's atrocities in the Congo?

Key reports that exposed the atrocities included American journalist George Washington Williams' 1890 accusations and diplomat Roger Casement's 1903 report. These documents detailed the widespread abuse, including murder, torture, and forced labor in the Congo.

How did the international community respond to the atrocities in the Congo?

The international community began to take notice when reports from Williams and Casement brought attention to the human rights violations in the Congo. This led to widespread outrage and eventually pressured King Leopold to relinquish control of the Congo to the Belgian government in 1908.

What happened to King Leopold after he lost control of the Congo?

After Leopold lost control of the Congo, he was awarded 50 million francs by the Belgian government in recognition of his 'great sacrifice.' He died the following year in 1909, and his funeral procession was met with boos from the public due to his infamous reputation.

What were the long-term effects of Belgian colonial rule in the Congo?

The long-term effects included decades of suffering under Belgian colonial rule, with exploitation continuing until the Congo's independence in 1960. The country faced political instability, including the assassination of its first prime minister, Patrice Lumumba, and a prolonged dictatorship.

How many Congolese people are estimated to have died during Leopold's rule?

It is estimated that around 10 million Congolese people died due to the brutal conditions and exploitation during Leopold's rule in the Congo, which was marked by violence, starvation, disease, and forced labor.

Have there been any efforts to seek reparations for the Congo's suffering under Leopold's regime?

Despite the immense suffering and loss of life, calls for reparations have gone unanswered, and Leopold's legacy of cruelty remains largely unaddressed in terms of restitution for the Congolese people.